Supporting means for automobile-tops.



W. R. DONBGAN 1.5. J. WALSH.

TING MEANS POP. Aufomom TUPS.

Patented Dm. 1. 15H4 SUPPOR APPLICANON NLM) MAY 31.1913.

nectel together lili of noveltv `going-vvill 'entorno engins ienifsnvr onore ...N

'WILLIAM 2R. DONEGAN .EtNIl J OHM' J. WALSH, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASBIGNUEB T0 THE IDONLEGAN AUTO BODY AND SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CON N ECTI- CUT, A CORPORATION 0F CONNECTICU' SUPPORTING MEANS FOR AUTMOIBILILTOPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

cammeo nec. 1, 191i.

Application :tiled Mey 31, 1913. llerial No. 770.13515.

To all whom it may concern.'

e it known that we, WHJJAM R. Donn- GAN and JOHN J. Wenen, citizens of the United States, residing nt Hertford, in the county ci Hertford ond State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and `useful Improvements in Supporting Means for Automobile-Tops, oi which the following is o specification.

This invention relates to means for automobile tops.

ln Letters Potent No. 1,046,565 granted to us on December l0, 1912 und to which rei ei'ence may be hed is disclosed what we term For convenience o. Wind shield attachment and the present device relates generirlly to the class of articles shown in seid prior pntent.

@ne of the primary purposes of the press cnt invention is to provide simplennd effec tive Ineens by which n stoy rod con be quickly and readily connected with u socket member, and by which, in o certnin end positive manner. the stoy member ond eoelet member will be firmly und` substentinlly conwhen necessary, the construction beinp; such, however, as to permit the quick separation of these two ports.

Another equally important `iecture consiste in e link connection between the stoy rod and the top or equivalent port of the automobile, bv virtue of which movement oi' the topor like part in o lntcrol direction will be freely permitted Without the opplication of interni stresses to the rod and the structure sustaining the some.

The organization possesses other features und utility which with the fore be stated at length in the follovv- 'lng (inscription wherein we will set forth in detnil that form oi embodiment of the in- :cntion which We have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming port ot the present specification, this disclosure beingr provided to enable those skilled in the ort to practice the invention. From this it will be obvious thut we do not limit ourselves to such showing; we mov deport therefrom in several respects Within the scope 'of the in ventio defined by theocluims 4iollou/inn; seid dcsiu'iption.- ln like manner it is not necessary thnt ell the features of the invention be present et the same time.

supporting' shsnlrot the socket member, t

lof un automobile or Referring to seid drawings: Figure 1 is a. cross sectional view of the forward ortion of an automobile top provided wit supporting means involving our invention. Fig. 2 is e transverse section on the line Q2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the supporting means. Fi 4; is u view of a portion of the bracket an e ortion of the 1e former being in horizontal section on the line 4-4Yof Fig. 2, und the letter in plan, and being shown es occupying its operative nndxinoperntive positions by full and dotted lines respectively. Fig. 5 is a part sectional side elevation of the supporting means, e portion only of the supporting or stnymember being' illustrated, und the stoy member and socket member being separated, the sddtion bein on the line of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is n detail sectional view of the h'eod`portion of the st-.iv rod' and the latch engaged therewith.

Lilie chernctcrs refer to like arts throughout the several figures of the ravvmgs.

ln the present cese es in the potent aL ready mentioned there are 'one or more brace, stoy or supporting.;r members between the bodv of the relatively stationary or rigid part thereof, and the foldsbl'e top, two of such supporting or stay members being generally employed and being7 preferably longitudinally adjustnbly connected with the wind shield as in the patent mentioned, the copernting socket members being preferably connected with the foldnble top, although in the present cose ns also intimated in the potent referred to this relation might be reversed, the invention not primarily concerning the connection of the stoy member und socket member with any particular parte. although the best results orc obtained by ndiustnbly connecting the stoy members with the wind shield. while the socket members are connenti-,d with the top.

We show none of the wind shield, although we do show a portion of for that fact it might be onv other vehicle. The top involvesin its nmke up several bows only one is shown. being denoted by 3. shown only one stay member und one socket member. and its adjuncts ns there may be enses where only one set of devices might e have of which automobile or some other a general Way by A gated rod which may asv shown in said prior f patent be longitudinallyadjustably connected with the stationary bow B. llieouter or 'brackelJ or plate 16 and 17 adapted to be `ber 57 approximately `cylimrical an A junction voi2 be utilized, bin;4 five prefer slia'e "alle sarne be `usually duplicated. A stay meniber'snch as meets our conditions isf thai; denoted in 4, consisting of an sionsection of ehe 'wind shield of the automobile and which is also preferably situated back of lthe front of bhe top 2. The rode is normally,hovvewer,y im; movable and may be considered 'pr:mbicallyY therefore as a 'lixed'elemenls- Associated with the rod is alsocket geein- 1ntended to receive the head 6 of `the slay' member or rode asvvillhereinater appeara said head' being somewhat tapered an ils apeX'being for convenience rounded. Atri-lie Y @hey bead 6 with the Abody of the stay V mer berlthere is an annular undercut shoulder 'lrjthe purpose of which lvvill be hereinafter explained. .'llhe hank for' said ,socket member4 is designated `by S and il: is connected with the fromJ or fforward bow 3 orsvvinging movement, said shank hav ing. at its forward end or butt 'a perforation lo4 receive the pivoiJ 9T consisting', for example of a pin lor rivet extendingalso through holes in ghe inward extending lugs l0 of the brackeb or plate ll absached by screws or olhe'rwise -to the inner face of the forward face of said ll is as shown, upon an angle to't against the correspondingly disposed adjacent face of the bow 3 to bring the pivot v9 vertical when the top 2 is up. The shank 8 as illustrated fits in the boss l2 projecting from the sockelJ member 5, the screw 13 tapped through said boss, il engaging tac shank 8 to thus hold the two paris. in rigid relation with each other.

lt Will be understood that when the sockel; member 5 is in operative relation as shown in Figs. l, 3 and 5, the' shank 8 extends inwardly at a right angle to the bow 3. When it is desired to fold-or close,the 1con 2 yit is desirable that the shank 8 and sockel; member 5 ,fold against the bow, and lhis is readily possible by virtue of the described hinge connection between said shank and bow, the shank being shown in its two extreme posi ons by full and dotted lines in Fie'. Ll. Means are provided for holding against accidental movement, said shank in its two positions, the spring 14 fastened by a screw 15 at one end to the plate or bracket 11, being shown'for this purpose, the butt portion of the shank 8 having the flat faces alternately engaged by the free portion of the spring to insure he results in question. ln Fig. e the free portion of the spring is/sliown as engaging 'the flat face lr6 so as lo maintain elle shank 8 in operative relaion. The sha-(nl: eana bonen/er7 when Jehe .sock-ee is coiineled portion ol* the spring :and lhereby causn e cally recede unbil solch. l

releases 'the laech 4ai; which 'lime be spring' 2e of said laich lhen und r maximum eene rmly ehe det-nl". or progecling' socket member 5,4

yebay 'rod be reedly olded againsr lli'e'bow 3 shivn 'bydiobled lines in said el, and when il; is the free VYwill engage' elle dal,

:lace ll 'to hold the' shank 8 .in ils folded relation vand agains jarrinfr and ralllinfg;

VThe sockel; member 5 is shown as a sloll lila the latch 19, pivoted between its' eids' 'as ab 20., being mounted in the slobor notch 18,- ;ihe lower portion of the latch lill having a projection 21h) hook under-the annular beveled shoulder l' el she stay rod 4f, the pin crossing thexnobch i8 adapted sollimit or reetrici; bhe inward or operative movement of 'the lai'zoh lg.' Tapped ll'alf'zh'is alle screw 235. `lhs inner porlcion of;

A lain being;

the 'shank liereozl beingn Aenderol to receive die coiled push spring 24%: fitted partly in a bore in che "opperpor,n tion of the sockel; member Whioh bs'ire intersects elle slot or notch The head 26 of said screw 23 serves as a simple con venienl; means for manipulating the laech lll.

le will be assumed that ehe top of the an toinobile has been opened and that bee shank 8 has been swung' away from the bow 3 "and that it occupies a posiion al; righe anglee thereto as shove-n in Fig. l, il: being 'farther nndersaood that the rod l has the requisile height.' The orvvardfportion oi? `bhe nop 2 is eben drawn down, so lahaie the tapered head 6 can enlzerlho sockebmenher 5,' said head as it enters said sockel, member riding along the hevcledllace 'Z7 oil he la'ieli said latch to an'oinalnpression progects portion 'lunder be shoulder l lo thereby firmly connecb the roel l and soclsel; member 5 until such binde as the leech is released forward pressure on the 'piece or. screw head 26. ln 5 the head *d is shown by dotted lines as having entered lhs bul it should be understood that his entrance is accomplished by drawing down the sockell member 5 and nelJ in projecting upward lhe rod 4. K

lThe shank or arm S and its sockell meinn ber 5 present together a link pivotally connected with the slay rod @and the lop 2 in View of which consiruction il', will be clear that the lop can Jfreely move sidewise Wibhout applying lateral stresses 'oto said slay rod owing to the fact that said link can swing laterally with the lop during its said movemen; and. one'of the broader lealuree been adinsbed poinl as the head d' liavingg'f' liep on' eidewiee movement f, were of afnolon of the lmk n te the .me ofloeml move my rod, a top' and e socket fa 'eh nl: movably connectfold against the letter. :milieu of o stay rod, a top, o the top to eeen ry operative ve positions; Seidl link being nonne for its detachable con- 'im eec emy Tod, and mesme for :RM .link .in its two poeiten.

e combnmton of :i step' rod, a top, e

reeeolx l of the describe? the nneneben `izo move l lijf connected Wien said etey l tiene' n y n l 6., The combination of- :L top, e stay rod, a

r link pivotedto the top and having n socket )member torreeeive said stoy rod', seid :socket member having u spring' advanced latch and 4, l

@he rod hewmg means for reoracting, the

Miek on :the insertion of' the rodilnto eaiV suchet member.

7. The combination of n top, a .starry rod :having e end e. eoelcet member to pivotelly receive eeidwheed end provided withy e `sprn aetw ated leteh to enggegeunder said shoul er said socket member also having' connected with seic top. u

`8. The combination of e. top, e stay rod, n eecko: member having a l otch, the heed of seid etey rod being inselftnle into and rotm tive in smid socket member, the latter having e. shank movably connected Withu'soid top' und n .latch pvoted in, seid the stay rod. 4 l

In testimony whereof we afx our' signetures in presence ot" two'witnesses.

WILLIAM R. DONEGAN.

JOHN J. WALSH. v Witnesses: v

HEATH SUN-IERLAND, I JOSEPH R. l/umow.

glob; for engaging heed provided, with e shoulder, 

